A central Queensland researcher is investigating ways for homes with solar power to access their stored energy during natural disasters.

CQUniversity professor Peter Wolfs said most rooftop solar systems were designed to shut down when power from the main grid was unavailable.

He said his research was looking at ways of creating economically viable systems to allow people to switch off and operate independently from the grid.

"We're looking at the wide-scale use of batteries in homes," he said.

"You can separate your house. If you actually disconnect your house from the network during a power outage you can form what is called an island and you basically operate off your solar energy and your energy stored in a battery."

He said it had always been possible to link batteries with solar systems to power homes but the high costs involved had been a problem.

"The batteries have tended to be expensive and have a relatively short life," he said.

"The real game changer has been the electric car.

"So the price of batteries has dropped steadily at about 10 to 15 per cent each year, so in a handful of years, three to four years, you'll probably find there will be an increasing demand for batteries going into houses."